Skyboxes

Started by outpt, December 30, 2006, 08:58:31 PM

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outpt

Hi all,

I've been trying to learn how to create cube skybox images with the tech preview. In the previous terragen, this was simply a case of setting the correct camera settings, and rendering each view seperately, ensuring camera zoom was set to 1. There was also a script that did just this.

Unfortunately, I'm having difficulty using the same method to do this. I can get the camera angles worked out fine, but I'm having difficulty getting the rest of the settings right, such as field of view.

Can anyone advise on the correct camera settings I can use to generate 6 skybox panes?

I'm tweaking, but here's the best I have got so far:



Any help appreciated,

Thanks

Tim O'Donoghue

Seems to me that the  the biggest problem is that the images are not square.

outpt

#2
Worked out from this page (http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/dev/tgcamera.html) that horizontal FOV should be 90, and I'm getting a bit of a better result. Trying to experiment with vertical FOV now. no idea what this should be.

Images are 128x128 (just for testing) taken at the camera position of (0,0,0), is there anything wrong there?

U-Type

Yup, just like [ outpt ] said, change the horizontal FOV to 90, and render in a square resolution... The maximum this technology preview can render in square is 600x600.

gregsandor

"Images are 128x128 (just for testing) taken at the camera position of (0,0,0), is there anything wrong there?"

Yes, there is something wrong:  your camera intersects the ground at 0,0,0.  Set it 2 meters above ground (roughly eye level). 

outpt

Skybox seems to be fitting fine now with 90 FOV (don't need the 2 meters above ground, since there is no ground).

Only issue left is that the brightness of each image differs (like in image), is there any way to correct this within terragen?

RedSquare

What about the camera exposure settings.

Oshyan

That's probably a Global Illumination issue. Try turning off GI and see if it fixes it. If so see if it has a significant (negative) impact on your scene quality. If so you might try using a fill light setup instead (to simulate "shadow lightness" - scattered light). I can provide a fill light setup in a .tgc if needed.

- Oshyan

outpt

#8
(edit) Got it!

Once I have some practice with this I'll also create a simple tutorial for the benefit of others.

outpt

#9
As promised, a short tutorial is available here:

http://www.outpt.co.uk/tut011.php

Probably very primitive for the more advanced terragen users on these forums, but could be useful for those who jump into Terragen for a quick skybox for game map (level) creation and modding. This tutorial does not show you how to use Terragen 2 or how to create your sky.

Will be updated as Terragen 2 evolves, and as I learn more about it.

tacomalo

Is there a checkbox for turning off GI?
All I've come across in the rendering options is a slider for GI quality...
I'm also encountering differences in the brightness of my separate images, so i'm wondering how to disable

buchvecny

guyz tell me for what do u use skyboxes?

§ardine

A lot of those making skyboxes are doing it to import into games such as Quake and the like. The purpose being, is to give the game depth beyond the reachable places of the maps/levels they build.

Oshyan

Just set both GI detail controls in the Renderer to 0. That will disable GI.

- Oshyan